Skill

Six Months Later

I saw her distress, her worry, but I couldn’t, I wouldn’t let Handel take her down with him or with me. After all she’s been through, Avery deserves more than this. But I could see the will power in her eyes to keep her mother safe, to keep me safe and off the streets, and to keep my grandpa safe.

“Please Avery, I’m begging you.” I said as I followed her through her routines. “Handel will just keep asking for more.” I insisted wishing all those times we ran into him never happened. For such a large city there’s so little room.

“I have to do this Skill, please; if you care about me you’ll let me do this.” She argued back as she locked the liquor cabin. I starred at her through bleeding eyes. She was beautiful, long brown, lavishing hair, soft brown eyes that showed too much compassion for anyone to ever deserve; I don’t think I’ve seen any girl like her before, which is why I couldn’t let her get hurt like this.

I sighed, “Avery stop being so stubborn,” I followed her into her bedroom as she was getting her things. “Please Avery, I’ll get down on my knees if I have to, I’ll do anything to stop you from going to Handel and giving him what he wants.”

“Well, you’re going to have to put me in shackles because there’s no stopping me.” She said as she walked out into the hallway to her mother’s door. She set up like usual, and under normal circumstance I would get in next to her, and just hold her until she fell asleep, because that’s what she needs, is someone to hold her.

“Avery, I know that you think what you’re doing is right, but you don’t understand Handel.” I tried to explain before she came in.

She looked at me with a glare, “You don’t understand that if I lose either you or my mother I’ll have nothing to live for.” Her eyes looked like they were about to water and I understand now what she was really thinking. This wasn’t just for her, this was for all of us. I never understood what it was that made people want to care about each other so much, but now I did.

I stepped forward, and put my hands on both sides of her face, and leaned in against her forehead. I was just as scared as she was. “Avery, I made you a promise. I will never leave you. Nothing in this world could make me want to leave you, and nothing in this world is going to let me stand by as I watch you give in to Handel’s demands. I’m trying to protect you babe…”

“I’m trying to protect you too, which is why I need to do this.” I could feel her shaking underneath my arms, and wrapped my arms around her as she leaned against my shoulder. “Please Skill, you can’t always protect me.”

I shook my head, “I can. I’ve been by your side for so long now, I can protect you, but you need to work with me here.” But I could feel the fears whispering in, forcing her to go, but I held her tighter not wanting to let go. She’s stood through too much now, she’s my concrete angel, and I wouldn’t let anyone, not Handel, not the Nineteen Diamonds, no one, take her from me. With a great sigh, I finally said, “I’ll go.”

This forced her to pull away from me. “What?” She demanded with a mixture of fear, anger, hurt, confusion, love, and surprise.

“Avery I’ll be damn if I have to lose you to that sonofabitch, so I’m going.” I explained.

She blinked as if trying to process the information, “So you just expect me to sit here while you go off to fight my battles for me?” The way she asked that question made me realize that she didn’t understand this, not from my point of view.

“This isn’t just your battle; this involves me just as much.” I said angry that she could think that she was in this alone.

“No it doesn’t!” She snapped. “It’s my money, it’s my mom, and it’s my life. None of it involves you.” I could hear the anger in her voice.

I shook my head, “Would you stop and listen to yourself for a moment?” I demanded.

“No, you stop and listen to yourself. I’m not going to let anyone else get hurt because of me…”

“And I’m not going to lose you because you’re being stubborn.” I cut in furious. Sometimes I wish she could understand that I do the things I do because she’s the first person to show me what it really means to care about someone. “Avery, don’t do this to me. Don’t do this to us.” I begged knowing that with her mind set it was difficult to change it.

Avery looked at me with eyes that showed disapproval, showed determination, showed too much care for anyone to deserve; eyes like my grandfather. He was the only one who was there for me when everyone gave up on me, and yet I turned around away from him, I betrayed him, and he was still able to take me back. He was able to forgive when forgiveness shouldn’t be given, and had the biggest heart I have ever seen. Avery was just like that; a steel head but a heart made of gold.

She shook her head, “I have to do this Skill. I’m sorry.” Sorry? Sorry? Was that all she could say? I turned away from her not sure what the hell I was supposed to be thinking at the moment. Was I supposed to just sit back and watch her destroy her life? When I left the Nineteen Diamonds I had made a promise to myself never to let them hurt me, hurt the ones that I love, and that I was never going to let them control anything I do. Yet, here they were controlling Avery like some fucking damn puppet.

Everything came rushing into my mind. I saw something in Handel’s eyes that I never seen in anyone’s eyes; a burning hate. I never thought someone like him could exist. That man makes me blood so hot, I just want to take him, and crush him. Crush him, and everything he ever stands for, like he did to me.

I looked up at Avery sure that my face was hot, “Don’t apologize to me.” I finally managed as I stood up and walked down the stairs, with Avery at my heels. “Don’t apologize to me, because I’m not the one who’s going around fucking up my life!” I yelled.

“I’m not fucking up anything!” She yelled right back. I saw her expression, disbelief that I actually yelled like that. I thought the whole apartment would get shaken up. “I have to do this!”

“Stop saying that!” I shouted with fear more than anger, “You don’t have to do shit! You can walk away from him now! You don’t have to follow him or do as he says!”

“You did!” Those words were like a stab in the heart.

I stepped back as if she punched me, “That is a mistake I will never make again.” I said still heated up but talking in a lower voice. I walked to the door, “If you plan on selling your fucking soul to the fucking devil, be my guest, but I won’t sit around and watch you do so.” I looked up at her, before leaving. I shut the door on her and everything we once had.

.x.x.x.

I walked towards Mercy Hospital, where my grandfather was staying, and sat by his bedside as I watched him sleep. As I looked at his bandage face, I thought back to the day I came home to find him completely beat up by Handel. That bastard would have killed my grandfather; the only father I have ever had in my life. I held on to his dry hands, and thought back to the days when I was a kid, before I became a problem. He worked most of his time with woods, which was why his hands were so strong, but at the same time he knew how to be gentle. I never understood how someone like him could manage something like that. He was my hero that was all I could say.

“What’s the matter my boy?” I heard his raspy cracked voice. I looked down at him, as I saw his only visible eye look up at me with a worry only a father could muster up.

I shook my head, “Nothing Grandpa, go back to sleep.” I said slowly, the last thing I wanted to do was worry him about my problems.

He looked at me, and I knew that if his face wasn’t bandaged up, he’d look very disappointed, and worry. “Skill, I know you better than that. Something’s worrying you. I know it is.” He said slowly through his cracked chap lips.

I swallowed hard, my dry throat stopping all my words from wanting to come out. “It…it’s just…” I tried to begin, “Its Avery.”

“The pretty white girl who came in with you a few weeks ago?” He asked and I nodded. “Is she alright?”

“No, she’s not.” I answered slowly.

I heard my grandfather sigh, “Mmhm, my boy is turning into quit a fine man.” He said.

“What are you talking about?” I raised my eyebrows.

“From the moment I almost thought that you wouldn’t find anyone to be with. But for the first time, I see that sparkle in your eyes, especially when you walked in with her. You love her, I know you do.” I looked down nodding my head. Avery, the first girl I have ever truly loved. “There’s more isn’t there?”

My voice cracked, “Yeah. It’s Handel.” I said slowly and I saw a ghastly expression on my father’s face. “Handel wants ten thousand dollars from her, or else he’d hurt her mother and me, and I told her not to fall for his threat, but she’s insisting on giving him the money so he’d leave us alone, but she doesn’t understand. I don’t want her to fall for his trap, but she won’t listen to me. I don’t know what to do.” After I was finished, I saw my grandfather look at me calmly.

After a minute he said, “I’ll tell you what you shouldn’t do. You shouldn’t walk out on her. She needs you right now. She’s lost her way, Skill, and she needs you to help her steer her in the right path. You’re a bright boy Skill, even though you’ve made mistakes in the past,” He coughed, “but that doesn’t mean you don’t know what’s right. Trust Avery’s judgment, and trust your own. You can protect her, and everyone you love. You just gotta beat Handel at his own game. All you gotta do is think.” He tapped the side of my forehead and everything began to form in my mind.

“Thank you Grandpa,” I said kissing his hand, “go to sleep now. Everything will be alright.” I waited until he was completely asleep until I left him.

.x.x.x.

Amelia threw her folder on her desk as she slumped on her chair. Handel was taken back to hold up, and she was left with nothing. She called Mercy hospital, only to find out that Skill was still in surgery, which worried her the most. Amelia remembered six months ago that she would have given anything to get Handel, now she has him, only it’s not all that it seems. Skill and Avery were in the hospital, Skill’s grandfather went into relapse as he realized that Skill was in the emergency room, and the worst of it all, Handel won’t admit to anything, and he is insisting that the story he told her was the truth.

A knock on her door made her look up. “Come in.” She said exhausted.

Jordan walked in with a morose face, “Hey there, how you doing?” She asked setting her stuff down and sitting across Amelia.

Amelia shook her head, “Just peachy. I’ve got a grandpa and two teenagers in the ER and I got a gangster in hold with no talking.” She leaned her head against her hand as she looked at Jordan. “Just another hard day at work.”

“Amelia, honey, I know you’re exhausted, but we finally got Handel…”

“At the expense of two innocent teenagers.” She cut in. “This would have never happened if I hadn’t forced Avery to go and meet him. I should have known Skill would get involved! I’ve seen the two of them together often, I screwed up.”

Jordan sighed, “You didn’t screw up. Sure you made the wrong choices, but we were there to save them…”

“We weren’t there to stop Handel from shooting at them. I should have known that Handel would do this to them, I should have made sure that they were prepared, I can’t believe I did this to them.” Amelia stood up as she got herself some vodka. “If Skill dies I will never forgive myself, Avery will never forgive me, James will never forgive me, and Handel will get away.” She said as she drank trying to think how this could have happened to her.

“How is Handel going to get away?” Jordan asked, and Amelia looked at her with soft eyes.

“Because,” Amelia said, “Handel didn’t shot Avery,” She paused taking another long drink, “Skill did.”

.x.x.x.

I knocked softly; until Avery came down to open it. Her eyes were puffy and red, and dry tears streaked her face. I swallowed hard looking into her eyes, two broken marbles. I hurt her this way. She really believes she’s doing the right thing; I just wish she didn’t think that. My heart was breaking just looking at her like this.

“W-what are you doing here?” She asked softly her voice raspy.

I didn’t know what to say, I wasn’t sure if there was anything to say. I could beg Avery again, or I could just let her do what she wish, but I can’t pick that second option, which was why option three was the best way to handle all this. I stepped forward, taking her face in both my hands, and pressed my lips against hers. I kissed her as hard as possible, before I took her by the waist and carried her to the living room.

I was doing this for so many reasons, but the main reason is that I love her too much to lose her. I had gained something wonderful the day I met Avery. I still remember her being in the junk house, lost, lonely, confused, scared, and so many other emotions it broke my heart. I didn’t think I’d ever meet her again, because let’s face it, I’m not apart of her social class, but here we are. And I won’t let her go. Even if it means giving everything up for her.